monotype print

One of the things that I love about gelatin printmaking is printing with found stencils, like weeds and ferns.

What I find changes with the season. I look for very flat, flexible, delicate and strong. Weeds are often stronger than cultivated plants. They have to be to survive!

Here are my guidelines for collecting grasses, weeds and botanicals for gelatin printmaking:

1. Flat is very important. Grasses can be trimmed or thinned out to make it flatter. Better negative space. Gently press between books or Plexiglas to flatten.
2. Strong means they will last at least one day of printing. And they are easier to handle and position on the plate. But if you can only find flimsy spring weeds – give it a try.
3. Be aware that they can cut into the plate or shed seeds. Usually it is easy to clean up with water and a rag.
4. Dried leaves are usually too brittle, but thin dried grasses are usually great.
5. You can preserve strong green botanicals with 1 part glycerin to 2 parts water. How to here.
6. You can store strong grasses and ferns for many months. I use, phone books, file folders and cookie sheet trays.

Hopefully, you will now look at some weeds and grasses with a new eye for potential art making materials. I always find new treasures whether I am in the woods or on the city street.

Check out the current workshops and explore gelatin printmaking with found stencils and more.

May 1st is the global Print Day in May this year! I encourage you to print and share your passion on social media to celebrate printmaking.

It is easy to do.

1. Print
2. Share images with the hashtag #PrintdayinMay
3. You can register as a participant here – https://printdayinmay.com
4. If you use special hashtags you are eligible to win sponsors prizes more details here https://printdayinmay.com/2021-sponsors/

So just have fun making prints and share with others. Maybe print with a friend.

I will be printing with the idea of Simplifying to make more powerful gelatin plate monotype prints.

I list some fun printmaking ideas for you and your friends in this post.

Enjoy!

Whenever I am at my local big box store, I always check to see if they have glycerin in stock. And if they do I buy a couple of bottles.

With pandemic many folks are using glycerin to make hand sanitizer, so it can be challenging to find.

1 – Make a long lasting gelatin plate

I use 2 bottles of glycerin to make the homemade gelatin plate. This is a malleable printing plate that is great for making monotypes with out a printing press.

You can get the FREE recipe and make your own printing plate here. With some time and playful practice you will be making your own beautiful monotype prints.

2 – Use glycerin to preserve botanicals

I use a lot of leaves and ferns as masking stencils. Some of these materials I have had for years because I preserved them in a glycerin and water bath.

Leaves and ferns can last for years and be used to make lovely monotype impressions. Try it! Get some instructions here.

3 – Use glycerin as a retarder with Speedball Water based block printing ink

For some reason retarder is a little bit expensive and only sold in smaller tubes. But luckily one of my students told me that a few drops of glycerin can be used to slow the drying time of the Speedball water based inks.

I use it for this purpose when I make trace monotype prints. I works nicely to keep the ink alive and workable.

If you are interested in learning more about printmaking without a press, then check out the current online classes.

Most recently I have been giving myself permission to sit by the lake in the woods. There is a tiny conflicting voice that is telling me to get to “work”.

But I am finding that the gift of that time by the lake makes it easier to get to work later. Hmmm?

So I offer you this challenge:

• Find some wilderness nearby, woods, lake, ocean, park
• Go there walk, sit and breathe it in
• See if this gift of time in nature improves your “work” time

I get many ideas and inspiration from the woods:

• stencils, weeds and ferns
• shadow shapes for masking stencils
• twigs and branches for relief plates

Hope I have encouraged you to walk in the woods today.